可怜的梭罗――读《瓦尔登湖》翻译（三十二）

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可怜的梭罗――读《瓦尔登湖》翻译（三十二）
  In short, I went on thus for a long time (I may say it without boasting), faithfully minding my business, till it became more and more evident that my townsmen would not after all admit me into the list of town officers, nor make my place a sinecure with a moderate allowance. My accounts, which I can swear to have kept faithfully, I have, indeed, never got audited, still less accepted, still less paid and settled. However, I have not set my heart on that.

（徐迟译）简单他说，我这样子干了很久（我一点不夸耀），我忠心耿耿地管理我的这些事，直到后来越来越明白了，市民们是不愿意把我包括在公职人员的名单之内，也不愿意给我一笔小小的薪俸，让我有个挂名职务的。我记的账，我可以赌咒是很仔细的，真是从未被查对过，也不用说核准了，更不用说付款，结清账目了，好在我的心思也不放在这上面。

（戴欢译）总而言之，我这样一直干了很长时间，这么说，一点都不是自我夸耀，我确实一丝不苟地照料着我的这些业务。后来，我越来越看的一清二楚，我的同镇人决不情愿将我算作公务员中的一份子的，也不会奉送给我一点不足挂齿的薪水，让我安享这份闲差的。我记的账目，可以对天发誓，都一直准确无误，但确实从未被人查对账目，不用说有人会认账，更别说有人会付款结帐了。话说回来，我的心思也一直没放在那上面。

梭罗说他这么做很长时间了却没有人给他薪水把他当作公职人员，这里有一种幽默的语调，如果翻译成汉语后，读者读出来一种抱怨，梭罗好像怀才不遇或仇恨其乡邻，那就是翻译之未达――没有把握梭罗真意传递出其神态。

My accounts, which I can swear to have kept faithfully, I have, indeed, never got audited, still less accepted, still less paid and settled. 这一句，我们临时把“which”从句以及“indeed”这个插入成份去掉，可以很清楚地看到句子结构：My accounts I have never got audited, still less accepted, still less paid and settled. 主要结构当是My accounts I have never got audited（＝I have never got my accounts audited）。把“My accounts”置前使它成为话题，同时也方便连接和带领下面的“still less accepted, still less paid and settled”。这里有两点：一是“still”是“仍然”还是“更加”呢？二是为什么要说“still less accepted”，若是换成“ still not accepted”有什么差别？

set one’s heart on that意思是be very desirous of obtaining or keeping that，很渴望获得或拥有。
http://blog.hjenglish.com/paths/articles/1409963.html
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